CVE-2025-53788

Local privilege escalation via TOCTOU race

Published Aug 12, 2025 · Updated Feb 26, 2026

A TOCTOU race condition in Microsoft Windows Subsystem for Linux before 2.5.10 allows local users to elevate privileges. Microsoft has not disclosed the affected code locus or the resource whose identity can change between validation and use. Successful exploitation requires local low-privileged access and winning a high-complexity race, after which the attacker gains elevated privileges.

CVSS severity7.0
High
EPSS probability0.23%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

A TOCTOU race condition in Microsoft Windows Subsystem for Linux before 2.5.10 allows local users to elevate privileges. Microsoft has not disclosed the affected code locus or the resource whose identity can change between validation and use. Successful exploitation requires local low-privileged access and winning a high-complexity race, after which the attacker gains elevated privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-53788
Published
Aug 12, 2025
Updated
Feb 26, 2026
Vendor
Microsoft
Product
Windows Subsystem for Linux
Classifications
CWE-367, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 12, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 26, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=5.0.0.0 <2.5.10

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Microsoft · Windows Subsystem for Linuxversion=5.0.0.0 <2.5.10

Published CVSS scores

7.0Microsoft CorporationCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-367Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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